Fatal Error
by Misticore
Summary: Duo's a sailor and a little while before he's due to come home, Wufei, unofficial husband of Duo, gets a message that Duo is dead. Wufei, deciding he doesn't wnat to live without Duo, decides to commit suicide. Can Duo stop him? 25 angstdeath


Fatal Error  
By: SS Raida  
  
Anime series: Gundam Wing  
Angst/death/alternate universe/mild drama  
No lemon or lime  
Shounen ai  
Pairings: 2+5  
Spoilers: None  
Parts: 1/1  
Rating: R  
Archive: If you want to...but ask me first.   
Feedback: Yes, please!  
Story blurb: Wufei is waiting for Duo to return home. Duo is a sailor and has been on a mission for awhile. But, when Wufei gets word back that Duo won't be returning, because he was killed, Wufei decides that he can't live without Duo...Knowing he would never return and they could never be together again. So...Wufei decides that he, too, will die. What Wufei doesn't know is that there's a mistake that has been made and Duo is coming home to correct it...Can Duo get there in time to save Wufei?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing nor do I claim to. Don't sue me...Really, you'd only get a dog...oo;  
  
Warnings: Rated R for mature themes. If you have a problem with one of the G-boys dying, you probably shouldn't read this. If you have a problem with angst or drama, you also shouldn't read this. If you aren't allowed to read/view content that is over PG or PG-13, then you should leave. Main thing: If you have a problem with homosexuality or just one or more of the Gundam Boys in a homosexual relationship whether it be with another Gundam boy or just with another guy in general, then you really shouldn't read this. Please leave if you have a problem with the content.  
  
Wufei sighed as he washed a few dishes. Yes, Chang Wufei was washing dishes. Well, no one else was there to do it! Granted, Wufei didn't eat very often anymore, but he did eat so that he could stay alive and well...Most of his attention was focused on meditating.  
  
He was a little excited today. Today would mark the day that meant that there would only be a few days left before Duo came home.   
  
Wufei paused a moment to look down at the ring Duo had given him. No, they weren't married. Same sex marriages were still illegal in most places and they hadn't had the time to both end up in a place where they could marry. And, even if they did, the state they lived in wouldn't recognize same sex marriages/unions. So, it was as if they weren't married.   
  
But, Duo had surprised him one day with asking him to be his forever and given him the wedding band. Yes, it was a wedding band. A golden one with little stars around it. Duo had an identical one that he wore all the time. They'd recited their own vows which were the equal to a 'normal' wedding and then some of their own were added into it. To make their bond unique and meaningful.   
  
While Wufei was reflecting on this, he didn't hear the telephone ringing. He was also thinking about the way they'd met.   
  
Wufei only noticed the ringing of the phone when it had stopped. He sighed, but didn't care. If it was important then the person would call back, and if it wasn't important then it really didn't matter.  
  
Wufei set to drying the dishes, now finished with washing them, so that he could put them away. There weren't many. Wufei didn't eat much. He just let the dishes pile.  
  
He went into the living room after putting the dishes away and gave a soft sigh. He was lonely without Duo. He wondered if Duo would be able to get a message to him before he came home.  
  
At least then he could wait easier. It was so hard not to jump around...and for Wufei, feeling giddy enough to jump around was really something. Wufei was usually calm, cool and collected. Not the sort to even feel like jumping around.   
  
But, that was beside the point. He sat down and debated whether to catch up on the news, read a book or meditate.  
  
The news won over this time and Wufei took the remote and turned on the television and flipped the channel from the cartoons, really he had no idea how it got on that channel, to the news station. All news, all the time.  
  
He reflected on how Duo said the news was boring, before actually paying attention to the television. Something about a ship or something going down by enemy fire or something...They had just finished the coverage of that and so Wufei hadn't gotten the whole story. He would have to wait until they decided to rerun the information.  
  
Wufei was waiting for that to happen for an hour, while listening to less important things, when a knock came at the door.   
  
He put the remote down and went to the door. He opened the front door, but left the screen door shut, upon seeing an official looking man standing there.  
  
"Are you Wufei Chang?" The man asked. He did notice that Wufei was Chinese, but he didn't care to properly put the last name first. However, there was a tone of sympathy in his voice.  
  
"Yes..." Wufei answered him, not knowing what else to say, because this hadn't happened before and he was a little scared...He had a bad feeling all of a sudden.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry Mr. Chang, but I was asked to give you the message that Duo Maxwell is dead. He drowned in when the ship he was on went down. There weren't any survivors. I'm terribly sorry..." The man said, and the tone in his voice was one of sincerity. He meant it when he said he was sorry. But, that provided little to no comfort for Wufei.  
  
Wufei just stood there, as if he didn't think he was really awake or something, that this couldn't be happening.   
  
However, Wufei was forced to realize that he was awake when his nails dug into his skin. He was making fists with his hands, a way that he silently repressed tears or anger.  
  
"But...He was going to come home soon..." Wufei said, disbelieving that Duo was gone. Maybe there had been a mistake?  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Chang." Was all the official looking man said, as he looked to Wufei with sympathy showing in his face and eyes.  
  
The man, seeing that Wufei probably wanted to be alone for awhile, left. He knew full well that he was going to tell Duo's "husband" about this and not his wife or mother.   
  
Wufei stood there, as if watching the man leave, but he wasn't really watching anything. Just looking ahead. His eyes not focusing on anything.  
  
Duo...dead? How can that be?? Duo was going to come home, they were going to be together again. They wouldn't have to worry about Duo leaving for awhile. Yes, Duo would have to go back to the war, but...they were going to have some time together. To themselves, to be with each other and catch up on lost time and now...now Duo's gone...Forever. Duo's dead. That's forever, more so than marriage, more so than prison. Forever is forever. He's not coming back, never.   
  
Wufei was never going to get to see Duo smile again, never get to feel him again, talk to him again and get an answer, have Duo poke at him while he was meditating, never get to watch Duo do any of the weird or odd things Duo liked to do, never get to...do anything with him again, never get to see him or touch him ever again.   
  
He now knew what people meant when they said forever was a long time. It really, really was. To live without someone you loved so much. It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible for Wufei to live on, knowing that Duo would never come back.   
  
Wufei ignored the fact that the television was still on, left the house, leaving the doors wide open and started toward a certain spot. Their home was located not too far from a cliff. The cliff was quite beautiful and had a wonderful view. This was their favorite spot. To just be together, do anything with just each other.   
  
He thought this would be a fitting place for his death, all things considered.   
  
Upon reaching the cliff that he and Duo spent so much time at together, he stopped to reflect on some things, just at the cliff's edge. All the wonderful and happy times they'd spent here.  
  
Wufei gave a soft sigh. It was time to go. He could meet up with Duo sooner if he just jumped now. But, why was he hesitating? Something didn't feel right. Wufei normally didn't go against his emotions, at least not emotions like this, but he knew that he was being a stupid coward. Duo was waiting...waiting for him. He needed to jump and when he hit the ground, he would be open his eyes to find Duo waiting for him. At least this is what Wufei had convinced himself of.  
  
Duo had gotten back today. He'd gotten back for a reason. He was told that he could get here the same day as the man that was going to deliver that mistaken message to Wufei. It was a mistake. Duo's ship hadn't gone down, Duo was alive and well. They'd mixed up the names, and it was someone else with the last name of Maxwell. They still used their original last names...The last names that more people knew them by.  
  
Duo was afraid Wufei would do something drastic and he wanted to stop it. They weren't able to get word to the man that was going to give the message to Wufei, so Duo was allowed to go back early. Duo would have gone, anyway, whether or not he was allowed to. He wasn't going to let his love do something drastic...especially since he was sure that Wufei wasn't joking when he had told him that if Duo died, Wufei would kill himself.  
  
Upon reaching home and not finding Wufei inside, he decided to run to Their Spot. He hoped that Wufei wasn't entertaining thoughts of jumping, but he couldn't be certain and he'd be damned if he was going to ignore the possibility.  
  
Duo's suspicions proved true, as he reached the cliff just in time to see his love standing on the edge of the cliff.   
  
Duo sped up, running faster. He didn't even THINK about calling out, which he would later regret.  
  
If Duo had called out sooner, perhaps it wouldn't have happened, but Wufei hadn't seemed to notice Duo, or perhaps he thought it was someone that was going to try to stop him, because he jumped as Duo got close enough to reach him.  
  
"WUFEI!!!!!" Duo yelled in a panic, afraid of the worst, but he threw himself down into a laying position and moved to reach as far as he could, amazingly not too late to catch Wufei by the wrist.  
  
Wufei was startled and gasped as he was stopped from falling, by the familiar warmth of Duo's hand.   
  
He looked up at Duo, wide eyed, and mouth slightly open, unable to believe this. Duo was supposed to be dead, but he'd stopped him from falling, what's going on?? Perhaps it really WAS a mistake.  
  
"Wufei, God, what were you thinking??" Duo asked, a frightened, but relieved tone in his voice. Frightened for what could have happened, relieved that he'd caught Wufei.  
  
"I...I was told you were dead..." Wufei said, sounding a bit unsure if Duo really was there or not.  
  
"I'm not. They made a mistake. It was someone else with my last name. They just mixed up the names. I got leave when they said they couldn't reach the guy that was going to give you the message." Duo said, wanting to explain this.  
  
So, that was why he had that awful feeling just before he'd jumped.  
  
"I'm so glad you're alright, Duo..." Wufei said, smiling softly, not paying attention that he was still in danger of falling if Duo's grasp loosened even the slightest bit...and that his wrist and Duo's hand were becoming sweaty.  
  
"Me too...I could stop you from doing this crazy thing. Don't ever do this again. Scared the life out of me." Duo said, the relief apparent in his voice.  
  
"I can't promise never...considering that you still could be killed...but I'll wait if it happens again...In case it's another mistake..." Wufei said.  
  
"Stubborn. We'll talk about this later, let's get you back on land instead of dangling in mid-air." Duo said, moving to pull Wufei up.  
  
Unfortunately, Duo's hand was very sweaty and so was Wufei's wrist. Duo couldn't hold onto Wufei, and couldn't believe it was happening when Wufei slipped from his grasp and, even though both tried to get hold of each other again, Wufei was falling, out of Duo's reach. Duo almost fell, himself, trying to get to Wufei.  
  
"NO! WUFEI!" Duo cried out, as if saying no and calling Wufei's name was going to make Wufei stop falling and move back up to where Duo could get hold of him again.  
  
Duo watched with tearing eyes as his love fell to his death, the last thing Wufei had said was Duo's name, as he called it out as he began falling. Duo knew that no matter how hard he tried, he wouldn't be able to save Wufei. He couldn't tear his eyes away anyway. Wufei was falling...and he wasn't going to stop until he hit the ground.  
  
At the moment Wufei did hit the ground, Duo could have sworn he actually heard the thud. He knew, though, that Wufei had died instantly. There was no other way from a fall like that. Hopefully, that meant no pain for Wufei. But, since no one could die instantly like that and live to tell about it...He wouldn't know until his dying day.  
  
"Wo ai ni, Wufei..."[1] Duo said, softly, getting up so that he could go down to Wufei and call someone on his cell phone, to tell them about what had happened and that an ambulance or...something is needed.  
  
No, Duo wouldn't die. Duo would continue to live and try his best to never get killed. He knew that that was how Wufei would want it.   
  
As he walked down the path that would take him to Wufei, tears that he would only allow to come once when no one was there to see, falling down his cheeks, and moving the wedding band he was wearing on his ring finger, using his thumb to move it.  
  
Wufei was and will always be the only one for Duo. And, Duo wanted to make it known that he was off limits to everyone, by wearing his wedding band until the day he died.  
  
  
  
  
The End  
  
1. Wo ai ni: Chinese for "I love you". 


End file.
